Oh man, there is so much stuff going on right now in the world both politically and socially, that I can’t imagine all that stuff not encouraging the rapid growth of the punk scene, especially in the States, where struggles and injustices sparked the creation of many bands. After premiering their first track taking on systematic racism, bringing our attention to the need for suicide prevention, and sharing a harsh commentary on the American prison system, Salt Lake City based RUN INTO THE SUN are back with a full EP and even more visceral lyrical content that will make you think. “The Spark” continues to mirror the band’s relentlessly powerful and energetic, yet surprisingly accessible sonic aesthetic, and it is our pleasure to present it in its entirety. Bon appétit!
The band commented on the record (scroll down to see the full track-by-track feature):
The Spark is a record about self–liberation. The system that surrounds us actively seeks to numb and gag the individual. It runs on the complicit support of a conforming global herd. It grooms us, feeds us, entertains us, distracts us… to its own ends. But there’s something in you that knows there’s more to living this life. There’s more joy and more fulfillment out there. Embrace that spark.
Catch the band live on their debut show on November 20th with DANGERS, who have just unveiled a nice music video (watch here)! See the flyer below.
Track-by-track breakdown:
You’re Not Alone
We are not humanity. It’s a line I picked up from Daniel Quinn more than a decade ago. I carry it close to this day. I do this because whenever I find myself frustrated with the bizarre machinations of modern civilization, it grounds me… like, say, when an unapologetically ignorant, racist, sexist, orange narcissist stands to become the President of the United States of America. It reminds me we don’t have to play their part.
As Quinn put it: “We’re not humanity, we’re just one culture – one culture out of hundreds of thousands that have lived their vision on this planet and sung their song. If it were humanity that needed changing, then we’d be out of luck. But it isn’t humanity that needs changing, it’s just…us.”
If humanity makes you feel insane, know you’re not alone. Know you can define and create your own unique existence. And start today.
Your Badge Is a Burning Cross
It’s no secret that America struggles with systematic racism in so many ways. It pisses us off, and millions more, that good people remain silent about this: politicians, employers, police officers. These people see injustice and feel the hurt it bears, but fear the repercussions of speaking out against it.
“Your Badge Is a Burning Cross” is a call out, specifically to police officers who refuse pull the card on the cowardly, racist thugs they call friends. But in truth, it goes out to anyone who observes injustice and looks the other way. What will you tell your children? Their children? Which side of history are you on right now?
I Am Up To Me
Where we live, 15% of high school students admit to having seriously considered suicide. 7% have attempted suicide one or more times. The teen suicide rate is 3 times the national average and climbing. Suicide is the number one cause of teen death in the state of Utah.
Suicide is complex but it has one universal trait: rejection. Rejection by family and friends, due to identity and lifestyle, is pretty much Utah’s defining tradition. But… Every hour of every day, teenagers here help their friends stay above water. Parents celebrate and embrace their children’s awesomely unique identities. Activists speak out against and organizations battle this rejection.
“I Am Up To Me” is a song for anyone who’s felt rejected. Rejection is just a sign that you live your life braver, brighter and fiercer than the rest. You are up to you.
Vines feat. Jordon Strang
We’re born passionate. We’re born creative and artistic and unique. We’re inspired to celebrate this part of us… until it’s time to get to work. Then our passions become hobbies: trivialized, devalued. Most ship off each morning to do the exact opposite of what they love to do. And years go by.
But in our final days, no one wishes they’d worked harder. No one regrets spending too few nights on the job. We regret the time spent away from our families. We regret the passions trivialized and forsaken.
If there’s something in your life that makes you feel whole, pursue it wholeheartedly no matter how those around you react. Because how you spend your minutes quickly becomes how you spend your life, then one day it all goes dark.
This song is a simple reminder to live your heart, performed with the radical assistance of Jordon Strang of Gouged and No Sun.
Soul on Fire
If you tell the average American about a country where 1 out of every 108 citizens are incarcerated and 1 out of every 28 children grow up with a parent in prison, they’re appalled: China, North Korea, somewhere in the Middle East, they say. But that country is America.
The United States represents 5% of the world’s population but houses 25% of its prisoners. The majority of these people are not charged with violent crimes.
Our prison population has grown 500% in the last 30 years to 2.4 million, while for-profit prisons cash in on tax dollars, government contracts and a corporate manufacturing force. IBM, Boeing, Microsoft, AT&T, Dell, Honeywell, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Nordstrom’s, Revlon, Macy’s, Target and dozens more have struck deals to employ imprisoned laborers.
The “freest” nation in the world incarcerates more of its citizens than any nation on the planet and it’s not making things better.
The prison system isn’t a support system, it’s a business. It dehumanizes and destroys the lives of people who need help, not punishment.
“Soul on Fire,” inspired by a passage from Eldridge Cleaver’s book Soul on Ice, speaks to the need for smart, empathic, ethical treatment of human beings. No matter how wrongly and horrifically our systems work to dehumanize us, we share a spark that binds and strengthens us as human beings.
RUN INTO THE SUN live dates:
11/20 – Dangers, Euth, Despite Depair – Beehive Social Club
12/3 – Shelter Red, Settle Down – Urban Lounge
